Book Talk: Getting My Hands Dirty with Chuck Hutchison

Getting My Hands Dirty: A Memoir of Resilience and

Transformation from the Gridiron to the Garden

with Chuck Hutchison

Thursday, February 26 | 5 – 6:30 pm

Tracing a journey of commitment, challenge, and growth, a former professional football player reflects on his time at Ohio State under the tutelage of Coach Woody Hayes, his years in the NFL, and his unexpected decision to become an expert gardener. Chuck Hutchison knows the meaning of hard work—it’s rooted in every chapter of his life story. Born into humble beginnings in rural Ohio, he found football in his youth, which opened doors for him and shaped the trajectory of his life in ways he’d never imagined possible. Under legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, Hutchison won a national championship with the Buckeyes and learned enduring lessons that served him in the NFL, the business world, and beyond. In the face of injuries, family struggles, mental health challenges, and an earlier than expected exit from the NFL, Hutchison came to rely on three basic principles: curiosity, confidence, and conviction. Guided by these foundational ideas, he discovered new ways to grow and heal, transforming the land surrounding his home into a garden masterpiece and breaking new ground in his own life, one shovelful at a time.

Getting My Hands Dirty is a candid and inspiring story of transformation, grit, and tenacity in football, business, and life’s next chapter. Told with authenticity and good humor, Hutchison’s story is proof that the pursuit of inner peace—and a renewed purpose in life—can be found in the most unexpected of places.

“Chuck Hutchison is a terrific model of what it takes to reach your full potential in all that you do.” — Jim Tressel, former head football coach at The Ohio State University

Chuck Hutchison is a former National Champion football player for Ohio State University under the legendary Woody Hayes and an NFL veteran. His professional career transitioned from the gridiron to the executive suite, where he served as an executive for the Green Bay Packers and as a Vice President for a Fortune 500 company, managing major global accounts including McDonald’s. Throughout his corporate tenure, Chuck was known for a “No-Excuse” leadership style built on accountability and trust—principles forged on an Ohio dairy farm and refined in the high-stakes environments of professional sports and global supply chains. After facing a profound identity crisis and mental health struggle during his retirement, Chuck found a transformative “Second Act” in the soil. He is the creator of Bucky’s Run, an extensive ornamental sanctuary in North Carolina that has been officially recognized and archived by the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens. Chuck lives and gardens in Asheville, N.C.

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